Dress from Adult T-shirt

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=293063.0
Simple, quick, and cheap. Here's a cute and comfy dress that you can whip up in no time flat...you and your kids will love it!



-= MATERIALS NEEDED =-

Adult t-shirt
T-shirt that fits your kid
Ruler or tape measure
Pins
Sewing machine or serger

-= PREPARATION =-

Pick out a cute t-shirt. The size you need depends on the size of the kid you're sewing for. I've used a Youth size 14/16 and a Women's Medium for my size 2T daughter. Obviously for a bigger kid, you'll need a bigger shirt.



Carefully cut off the sleeves at the seams.





-= BODICE =-

Determine whether or not you're going to need to adjust the shoulder seams. On the one I made from a Youth size 14/16, I didn't need to adjust the shoulder seams because the neck size was almost identical to the one on my daughter's shirt. (The width of the binding doesn't matter, just the inner edge).



Lucky for you, the shirt I used for this tutorial was quite a bit wider at the neck, so you get to see how to adjust the shoulder seams.



If you're not sure, just try it on your kid and see how the neck fits! Definitely too big, see?



Line up the inner neck edge of the kids shirt with the inner neck edge of the big t-shirt. The idea is to get the neck to come out the same width. I'm not doing so well explaining this part, hopefully the pictures will help!



Once your shirts are in position, you'll need to know how long you want the bodice of the dress to be. I did mine at 7 inches, plus a half inch for seaming and mistakes (just in case). You could do a dropped waist or a higher empire line, whatever suits your fancy!



Here's where it's nice to use a striped shirt...you can just follow a stripe across, but beware! Store bought clothes are sometimes pretty crooked! I cut the front and back pieces separately so nothing goes awry.





Cut straight up along one side of the kid's shirt...remember to leave room for a seam!




Fold in half and cut the other side.




Since my shoulders only needed to be moved down about a half an inch, I decided not to cut it first. I just turned it inside out and serged new seams a half inch down. You may need to cut it off a bit. Just use your kid's t-shirt as a guide...and remember to add seam allowances.


(The pins are just to show you the sewing line...don't pin like this if you use a serger!)

-= SLEEVES =-

Use the sleeves of your kids shirt to determine the new sleeves width.



Cut across following the general shape of the original underarm seam.



Measure sleeve length and make whatever adjustments you need. Six inches would be down to my daughter's elbow, so I cut off about an inch.




Use the first sleeve to make the second sleeve. Easy peasy.




-= ARMHOLE SHAPING =-

Use the curved edge of the sleeve as a guide for the armholes. Err on the side of caution...it's better to cut the hole too small and have to cut it bigger later! The pin is marking the center fold of the sleeve so it can be aligned with the shoulder seam.





Fold the bodice in half and cut the other side to match.





Whew, that was the hard part. After this it's all smooth sailin'!

Pin the sleeves in place and sew. Don't forget to put right sides together! (Check the hems to know which is the inside and which is the outside of the fabric). For the best look, press sleeve seams.



(I thought my poor, old serger deserved 2 seconds of fame. Okay, let's move on.)

Sew side seams.



-= SKIRT =-

My bodice is 7 1/2 inches, and I want my finished dress to be between 17 and 18 inches, so I measured 11 up from the hem and cut. You may want more or less depending on your kid...and also on the size of your shirt.





Use your favorite method of gathering...I used my longest stitch on my sewing machine. Pin skirt to bodice matching center front, center back, and side seams. Be careful to get right sides together again. It's easy to mess up since both sides of the cloth look the same.



Even out gathers and sew.





TADA!

Smock

OBG {Art Smock}

Last year, I decided that I needed to make my little guy an art smock. He is very particular about not getting things on his clothes and he doesn't like getting too messy. Sometimes mid-meal he will ask for another spoon/fork because his is "dirty." Crazy kid. I swear this is all him!

I looked around at the cost of oil-cloth. Man is that stuff expensive. It is nice though because you can just wipe it off. I kept looking and realized that I could use an outside tablecloth and it was pretty similar. So I bought a HUGE tablecloth at Walmart for a few bucks. Then I took my smock pattern and cut it out. I felt a bit like a rebel cutting up the tablecloth but in the end, it was all good!This was a really easy project because I just used bias tape for the edges/ties. Now the little guy can do art and not worry about his clothes so much! The nice thing is with my tablecloth, I can make quite a few of these for just a couple dollars each. Not too shabby!! What a fun thing this would be to have for kiddos at a birthday party or something. I also thought about using regular cotton fabric with that sew on vinyl to allow for easy wiping. But this was even faster and WAY cheap!

Samoas Bars

Samoas Bars (Caramel Delites)

Don't you just LOVE Girl Scout Cookies?????? We
do & so when I found this recipe on a number of blogs,
(I found this on lovetoeat weblog) I knew I had to try it
out....It does taste just like them, so if you like
shortbread, coconut & caramel, drizzled
with chocolate...your going to love these...

They are a GREAT DESSERT!!!They do take a bit of
time though because you need to let them cool in between
each step, but everybody says it's worth it.


Recipe
Cookie base:
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter (softened)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

First, make the crust. Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. In a
large bowl, cream together sugar & butter,
until fluffy. Beat in egg & vanilla extract.

Working at a low speed, gradually beat in the
flour & salt until mixture is crumbly....(Mine
was more like a dough but I don't think it makes
that big a difference....)Pour dough mixture into
prepared pan & press firmly to make a even
layer. Bake for 15-20 min checking to see when
the middle is set & edges are lightly brown. Cool
completely before topping...

TOPPING:
3 C. shredded coconut
1 pkg. 14oz. caramels (I used the Kraft brand)
1/4 salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1c. semisweet choc. chips (to drizzle on top)

Preheat oven to 300F. Spread coconut evenly
on a parchment-lined cookie sheet (I used a
Slipat liner) preferably a cookie sheet with sides.
Toast the coconut 15-20 min. stirring every 5 min,
until coconut is golden brown (mine only took
15 min....I have a hot oven....go by what your
oven does) Cool on cookie sheet. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels & place in a lg. microwave-
safe bowl with the milk & salt. Cook on high
approx. 3-4 min (it took mine almost 3) stopping
to stir a few times to help caramel melt. When
smooth fold in coconut with spatula. Put dollops
of mixture all over shortbread base. DO THIS
QUICKLY BEFORE CARAMEL STARTS TO
COOL. Using a spatula spread topping to make an
even layer. Let topping set until cooled.

When cooled, cut bars (with sharp large knife) into
30 small bars or 15 larger bars. Once bars are cut,
melt chocolate into Sm. microwave-safe bowl. Heat
on high for about 30sec. intervals, stirring thoroughly
to prevent scorching. (SEE TIP) Drizzle the melted
chocolate on top of bars in diagonal lines.

TIP: Place a baggie in a cup & spoon melted
chocolate into baggie..pick up baggie & snip a tiny
hole in the corner of the baggie. Drizzle a diagonal
design (on the cut bars).....Let chocolate completely
cool (even put them in the fridge if needed for a short
time) before storing in airtight container........Enjoy!!

Jewlery Holder

Stephie from Made by Stephie made this jewelry holder with mug holders and a lazy susan. It's so fun and unique!

Fabric Flower

Pop Garden Scrap Flower Tutorial

1. Tear a strip of printed cotton fabric 3" high by 20" wide. Pop Garden works.

2. With wrong sides together, fold fabric strip in half, as shown. Stitch long, gathering stitch along matched torn edges, through both layers. (For a torn-edge flower, stitch along folded edge, through both layers.)

3. Gently pull stitches as you sew, to gather fabric into a circle. Fasten fabric circle at center with a couple of stitches. Secure & trim thread.

4. Of felt, cut three tiered circles -- 2" wide, 1.75" wide, and 1.5" wide. Notch edges of large & small circles. Remove all 'hanging chads' of felt -- we'll have none of that. Stack felt circles as shown.

5. Onto gathered fabric flower, layer stacked felt circles and a decorative button or brooch. Stitch layers together at center several times through button to secure. Conceal gathered edges at back of flower by whip-stitching a circle of scrap felt to the back of the flower. Then, attach a sew-on pin-back, hair clip, ponytail elastic, TT headband, bobbypin or barrette. And that's it. Easy-peasy.

For your reference, the following chart shows the measurements used for the other flowers featured in the photos above. The large flower is made by stacking a folded piece of silk on top of the folded cotton print with folds aligned. Gathering stitches are sewn through all layers, near the fold. And the large flower spirals into several layers, unlike the other two shown.

I'm looking forward to meeting many of you at Friday's Start-up Princess event. If you're interested in last-minute registration, I've got a present for you -- use code STUDIO5 for $10 off the registration fee. Or tune in to the show today, as two viewers will receive free tickets on air, valued at $99 each.

Also, there is an all-new category at The Heather Bailey Store. See if you can spot it. I'm eager to post more, but need to rush off to the station. Let's just say the new category ties in perfectly with this tutorial and with more projects to come. I'll spill the beans in my next post.

Camera Strap

http://crapivemade.blogspot.com/2009/11/patchwork-camera-strap-tutorial.html

Patchwork Camera Strap Tutorial

There are a bunch of camera strap/camera strap cover tutorials out there already (believe me, I spent an hour or more reading them), but none of them were exactly what I wanted.

If you want what I wanted, this is the tutorial for you!

Supplies:

camera strap
seam ripper
heavy weight interfacing the same length as your camera strap and 2 times the width
fabric scraps
thread that coordinates with the fabrics
black thread (or other thread that coordinates with the leather on the ends of the original strap)
leather needle

I got my camera straps on Amazon for $2.96. You may have an old one that needs a face lift.

Take your seam ripper to the backs of the ends of the strap. Cut every 2nd or 3rd stitch. I only did the portion to the left of the seam ripper in the picture. The other half wasn’t holding the strap in.

Once you’ve cut the stitching, pull it apart.

Cut through any additional threads and pull the strap out.

Trim/remove any additional loose threads. Do this to both ends of the strap.

Measure the width of the original strap. Mine measured 1.5”

Cut your interfacing TWICE the width and the same length as the original strap piece you just removed. Since my original strap was 1.5”, I cut my interfacing 3” wide.

Sew your fabric scraps together until you have a piece that is at least as long as the original strap and 2 times the width plus 1/2”. Press the seams. I pressed mine towards the darker fabric.

Place your interfacing on the back side of your fabric and fuse according to manufacturer’s directions.

Trim, leaving 1/4” of fabric past the interfacing on both long sides and flush with interfacing on the short ends.

Press the long edges in 1/4”

Turn it over and give it another good press.

Fold in half lengthwise and press again.

Edge stitch the open edge using the coordinating thread.

Edge stitch the other edge.

Do a line of stitching right down the middle and then two more lines (one on each side) between the edge stitch and the center line.

Insert the end of your new strap into the leather end you removed from the original strap.

Using the black thread (or whatever color matches your leather ends) and a leather needle, stitch right over the previous stitching line.

Do this to both ends and you’re done!

Split Twirl Skirt

http://crapivemade.blogspot.com/2010/02/split-twirl-skirt-tutorial.html

Print off a copy of the worksheet, found here.

Measure the waist of the intended wearer.

Measure from where you’d like the top of the waistband to sit to where you’d like the drop waist panel to end and the skirt to attach. This is completely personal preference! Leave the top of your tape measure where it is and measure what you’d like the completed length of your skirt to be.

Enter all 3 measurements on the worksheet.

Multiply your waist measurement by 1.5 (for example: 26” waist X 1.5 = 39”). EVERY piece you cut for this skirt will be this width. From here on out, this will just be referred to as your width measurement.

Cut one piece your width measurement by your drop waist measurement + 1.5”. My drop measurement was 4”, so I cut this piece 5.5” tall.

Cut 2 pieces for your underskirt from contrasting fabric (see directions on worksheet).

Cut 2 pieces for your overskirt from same fabric as waistband (see directions on worksheet).

That’s it. 5 rectangles, all the same width.

All seams are 1/2” unless otherwise noted.

With right sides together, sew the short ends of the drop waist panel together.

Unfold your overskirt pieces and stack them right sides facing. Sew short sides together.

Unfold your underskirt pieces and stack them right sides facing. Sew short sides together.

Now we’ve got 3 tubes of fabric.

Finish your seams (serge, zig zag, pink, whatever), press to the side, and topstitch.

Turn your overskirt tube right side out (make sure your print is facing the right way if there’s an up and a down) and measure over 1/4 of the way from the left hand side. (Macy wanted her skirt split on this side. If you’d prefer it on the other side, measure from the right edge instead.)

See the crease? That’s the half way point. 1/4 for me will be about 9.5”. Yours will be different. Draw a line there.

Take a pair of scissors and cut on that line, THROUGH THE TOP LAYER OF FABRIC ONLY!!!

Now we’re going to hem the edges we just cut. Turn under 1/4” and then another 1/4”. Sew in place.

Next we’ll hem the bottom of the overskirt. Turn and press under 1/4” and then another 3/4”. Sew in place.

Do the same to the bottom of the underskirt…1/4” then 3/4” and sew in place.

Put your underskirt inside of your overskirt, matching seams and lay it flat. You’ll have a gap where the underskirt peeks out. Pin all the way around the top edge.

Take your giant pinned tube over to your machine and do a long gathering stitch (stitch length 5 on most machines) about 1/4” from the top/pinned edge.

I did the front and stopped and cut my threads. Then, I did the back the same way. I don’t like to gather the whole skirt at once, but you certainly can. You can also do another row of gathering stitching about 1/8” from the first if you’re worried about threads breaking. I like to live on the edge, so I usually skip that part. ;)

Turn your giant tube inside out. This will leave you with the bobbin thread (aka the one you’ll pull to gather) facing you. I also think it’s easier to have your gathers facing you instead of crammed on the inside.

Grab your drop waist panel and turn it upside down (but right side out). Insert it in your underskirt/overskirt tube.

Pin, matching seams, middles, etc.

Now’s when you’ll pull your bobbin thread only and gather. I find it easier to way over gather and then ease it out as I pin. Evenly distribute your gathers and pin every couple of inches.

Sew your skirts to your waist panel.

Finish the edge (serge or zig zag).

Press the seam towards the waist panel and top stitch.

To make your casing for the elastic, fold and press 1/4” along the top edge and then another 3/4”. Sew in place, leaving a 2” opening in the back.

Thread your elastic through the casing and stitch the ends together. Sew the rest of the casing closed.

Try to get a better picture than this one in the dark with a flash:

You’re done!